Page 44 of Four Firemen For Christmas

He narrowed his eyes at me like he didn’t believe me, but he moved back to my side and we resumed our walk. “None of us have family to visit. We all end up at the station on Christmas morning. We always volunteer to deliver the angel tree presents since all the other teamsdohave families to spend the day with.”

So, they all spent the day together, kind of like their own version of a family. I’d noticed how close they all were the longer we all worked together.

“Hey, Samuel.” Derek waved at the older firefighter arriving ahead of them. He gave me a pat on the shoulder before he took off at a jog to meet up with Samuel, who lifted his coffee cup in my direction as a kind ofgood morningsalute.

I shouldn’t feel like they were rejecting me. They’ve been working hard, their crazy hours keeping them out all night sometimes. But it felt like they’d gotten what they wanted from me and were tossing me aside.

What happened to all that talk about sharing me, or me being able to go to any of them for sex? Not that I’d done that. I wasn’t about to go crawl in Derek’s bed when I saw how exhausted he was. He barely ate before falling into bed. I shouldn’t care. I told myself that I didn’t care. I’d known going into this situation that it was a passing thing.

Shit, I eventoldAlex and Samuel that it was temporary. “You knew better.” I huffed at my own infatuation. “What guy in their right mind would want me when they could have any woman they wanted? And here I’d thought I could satisfy four men?” I clamped my lips shut and walked into the fire station.

Henry’s door stood open, and I walked straight in, bypassing the man himself to sit at my desk and put myself to work. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. It hurt too much to see him there and know that he didn’t want me anymore.

“Emma.” Henry tapped the edge of my desk with two fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I unraveled my scarf and hung it up with my coat on the hook Henry had installed behind my desk. The sight of it brought back memories of us in here together, his cock filling me up. I wanted that again with a desperation that shamed me. Every breath brought Henry closer to me. I focused on the paperwork and avoided Henry’s probing stare.

The last time I felt this tense was right before Henry fucked me. I licked my dry lips and turned my back on him.

An annoyed huff sounded, but Henry walked back to his desk and sat.

“Do you have those reports from the last meeting?” I forced my voice to remain calm but still couldn’t gather the courage to actually look at Henry.

“They’re on the shelf.” All of a sudden, Henry reached past me and grabbed a binder from the bookshelf. His scent flooded my system and all I could think about was last week and his hands on my body. “Here.”

I gave myself clear instructions to smile, but I was sure it looked more like a grimace. “Thanks. You can put it right there.”

I wasn’t about to reach out and take it from him. I couldn’t trust myself to touch him and not fall apart.

“Emma.” His breath fanned my cheek. “Look at me.” While the words were a direct order, they didn’t have the sharp command that I’d heard from him out in the field.

“No.” If I looked, then I’d want him. And if I wanted him even a little more, I’d burst into flames. Flames that he’d feel forced to put out. That was not the kind of woman I wanted to be. I was not a charity case. Boots clattered over the concrete floor, and I heard Samuel and Derek joking amid the sounds of weights being moved around in the weight room.

A walkie-talkie crackled. I’d come to appreciate these sounds. They were a constant reminder of the world he belonged to—a world of danger, heroism, and camaraderie. The fire of want flamed hotter.

Time slowed the longer he stood there. Never backing down.

The fire station's stark fluorescent lights cast elongated shadows across the floor. I felt Henry’s gaze taking me in and refusing to waver.

Someone dropped a wrench outside and it skipped across the floor, sliding beneath the fire truck. Alex stooped and grabbed it, then passed it back. Their muted conversation gave me something else to think about besides Henry.

My mind raced, torn between desire and self-preservation. “Don’t you have work to do?” My voice came out tight and controlled.

His fingers brushed against my cheek, the touch infinitely gentle. “What’s wrong?”

It almost broke me, the way he spoke like he actually cared. My breath hitched as I closed my eyes. I wouldn’t be able to resist him much longer.

The chaos of the fire station faded into the background the longer I sat there trying to avoid Henry.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered.

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I finally turned to look into his eyes. What I saw there weakened my knees. Anger was the only thing that would help me here. I had to get him to back off.

“Leave me alone, Henry.” I pushed to my feet and shoved past him. “It’s none of your business.”

I lied through my teeth, but I had to if I wanted to keep my sanity. What was going on in my own mind was my business.

“And if I say no?” Henry cut me off before I could bolt from his office. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

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